Northeast India Pitched as Key Bridge in India–Thailand Push for Connectivity and Trade

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Calling for a shift from formal agreements to projects that deliver results on the ground, the two-day Brahmaputra-Chao Phraya Dialogue concluded on Tuesday, with India and Thailand identifying direct connectivity, education, trade, clean energy and disaster management as key areas for deeper cooperation between Thailand and Northeast India.

Held across Guwahati and Shillong on September 22 and 23, the dialogue brought together senior diplomats, policymakers and academics from the two countries to explore practical avenues for strengthening ties between Bangkok and India's Northeast.

Organised by Asian Confluence in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the dialogue was co-hosted by Assam Royal Global University and the Meghalaya Institute of Governance.

The Guwahati session on the first day focused on human capital, health, education and youth entrepreneurship, with participants stressing the need for greater youth participation and direct institutional exchanges to translate regional cooperation into local economic opportunities.

"Moving beyond MoUs to meaningful implementation through on-ground visits and institutional exchanges" emerged as a key message during the opening sessions, chaired by former MEA Secretary Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das. The sessions were also attended by Thailand's Director-General, Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, Urasa Mongkolnavin, and Asian Confluence Executive Director Sabyasachi Dutta.

The dialogue moved to Shillong on the second day, where discussions took a broader strategic view of India's Act East policy and the Bay of Bengal region.

Among the key recommendations were the creation of direct air corridors and stronger regional transit links, joint projects in clean energy and green manufacturing, cooperation in disaster management, and greater city-to-city and province-level partnerships to promote trade and tourism.

The participants also discussed greater coordination through regional platforms such as BIMSTEC and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). With its strategic location connecting mainland India with Southeast Asia, Northeast India was highlighted as a critical bridge for India's Act East engagement.

Asian Confluence, which has been facilitating India-Thailand engagement since 2018 through its Brahmaputra-Chao Phraya Initiative and NADI platform, said it would continue working to deepen cooperation in trade, culture and innovation.

The dialogue thus concluded with an emphasis on converting regional diplomacy into tangible partnerships, institutional exchanges and development projects.

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